Pinochet is diagnosed with "progressive senile dementia"

The former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was diagnosed with progressive senile dementia. This was reported by the doctors who examined him.

Pinochet suffers from a deficiency of blood supply to the subcortical layers of the brain, which manifests itself in the form of a progressive senile dementia, and partial loss of memory, neuropsychiatrist Jorge Tapia said on Friday evening.

An examination of the 86-year-old general was conducted on the initiative of protection and is aimed at determining the physical possibility of a former dictator to appear before justice on charges of involvement in torture, murders and abductions of people during the years of military dictatorship.

After the diagnosis was announced, Judge Juan Gusman, a conducting investigation of Pinochet’s involvement in crimes committed during his reign, must make a decision whether this diagnosis of the doctor will affect the course of the investigation, ITAR-TASS reports.